Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-23
EAsTERN SHORE NOTES.
The Result of the Lste Democratic
primary-Thc Late Fire.


tCorrespondence Of the Richmond Dispatch. J
ONANcocK, April 81, 1887.
The returns of the primary election
held last Saturday to nominate county
officers have been received from all the
precincts of the county except one,
and il turns out that the vote is not
only the largest ever polled by the
Democrats in primary election IN Ac-
comack, but only in one regular cleo
ton has SO large vote been cast.
That was in the presidential contest
Of 1884, when 2,94g votes were cast for
Cleveland and Hendricks in the county.
The vote cast in the primary last Sat
urday will fall about 100 short of that
number. This looks as il the breach in
the party was healed and that the indie
pendents, who by votingfor Brown last
fall reduced the Democratic majority OF
the county from 300 to 800, will not
continue their opposition to the party.
This is proved by the long faces OF the
Republicans and few so-called indie
pendents who tried to keep as many
as they could from participating in
the primaries. The full vote in the
primaries has dispelled all fears not
only of Republican success, but even
of serious opposition. All the noml-
nees are strong with the people, and
will probably be elected by a practi-
cally unanimous vote. The figures of
the primary election are as follows:
John j. Blackstone, treasurer, 300 ;
M. Oldham, Jr., clerk of County Court,
$3.50 John ID. Grant, clerk of Circuit
Court, 1854 for Commonwealth at
torney, James II. Fletcher, Jr., 1856,
John j. Gunter S44, George L. PARA
more ga; for sheriff, John II. Wise
2.044. Levin II. Nelson 701 for com
missioner of the revenue, District No.
/. Spencer ID. Fletcher 1862, James
W. Broughton 967; District No. 2,
William b. Tunnel, 2,714.
OF the candidates named above
Messrs. Blackstone, Oldham, Grant.
and Tunnel were nominated without
opposition, all of them being incum-
bents except Mr.. Grant, who for seve-
raj years has held clerkship in the
Office of Auditor of Public Accounts
in Richmond. The unusually large
vote polled is attributed mainly to the
active contest for the position of Com
monwealth's attorney, in which the
people manifested great interest.
Rev. DIR. William b. Gordon, OF the
Episcopal Church, who is soon to go
to Mexico as missionary, spent
several days with his friends and old
parishioners IN Onancock this week,
and preached in the Episcopal church
here last Tuesday night For the last
eight years Mr.. Gordon has been in
charge of a church at Smyrna. Della
ware. He is a native of North Caro-
lima, and served as a gallant soldier
throughout the late war in the Con-
fedeIate army. 1t is thought very
probable that Mr.. Gordon will in few
years be made missionary bishop of
Mexico.
The commissioners appointed by the
Town Council are busily engaged IN
irving to straighten and widen the
streets in the burned district, but they
are said TO be making very slow pro-
Qress, owing to division among them
selves and the opposition of some OF
the property-owners. There is practi-
cal unanimity here ON the question of
providing some suitable fire apparatus
for the town. To-day large bonfire
was built in the centre of the town out
of infiammable material covered with
tar and coal-oil and then set on fire and
put out with chemical engine. The
test was witnessed by large crowd Of
people, and proved a perfect success.
The insurance-men have been here this
week settling the losses incurred in the
recent fire. Among them was Mr.. w.
L. Cowardin, president of the Virginia
Fire and Marine, whose company was
the heaviest loser by the fire.
KALLIAS.